Went into the mountains today and did some fairly nasty (for my skill level) single track. Had a blast. The day reinforced in my mind two significant beliefs:
1) The 1998 KX250 when properly set up, with just the addition of a flywheel weight and an FMF Gnarly pipe, is quite possibly the best budget off-road bike I've ever ridden. I have it geared quite low, but that motor is a complete tractor. Amazing powerplant. Nearly the bottom end of the current KTM 300 but with a great MX snap in the midrange. I can't believe how low it will lug down in the tight steep rocky rooty stuff we ride in. The low first gear in that model year is a huge part of that. I love this freaking bike.
2) People who ride without all the gear are dumbasses. I had a relatively low speed get-off today. Cross rutted and went over the bars. I think I may have cracked my ribs. My helmet has some good rash on it. Without my helmet and my beloved Alpinestars full armor vest it would have been much worse. I rode another couple hours and tonight my ribs are VERY sore, but my noggin is fine.
Good news on the noggin thing ;)
Sorry about the ribs.
98 KX250 is a great bike. I had a chance to buy a really clean, low hour one from a friend about five years ago and regret not doing it.
Yep, I run a Fox Titan full upper body armor for off roading. It has saved my bacon (and elbows, forearms, and tail bone) many times. Love that stuff and pretty easy to get for $100 bucks with some shopping. Now I just need a woods bike that isn't trying to murder me all the time.
I've used my protective gear quite a bit crashing in the dirt.
doc_speeder wrote:
People who ride without all the gear are dumbasses.
There's always more gear or better gear than what you were wearing, so don't puff your chest out too far. Self-righteousness never looks good anyhow.
My last "get off" at NHMS turn 11...Nice low speed low side on white flag lap one turn left to go....
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-_JrAJ3WgBKSTNlX2FDdGQtSTl1bUJsQjFDSHl1VDFNVXRr/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-_JrAJ3WgBKRWJlUExHb2lYdkNCMC1jdW91czhMZFRrUGJJ/view?usp=sharing
Thankfully the leathers took the brunt of the damage. That why I had them made after all. It will cost more to fix the leathers then the bike...
foxtrapper wrote:
doc_speeder wrote:
People who ride without all the gear are dumbasses.
There's always more gear or better gear than what you were wearing, so don't puff your chest out too far. Self-righteousness never looks good anyhow.
I'm sorry that wasn't my intent. I just see a lot of guys out riding that wear minimal or no gear. Usually on quads though. Actually after I got up and assessed that I wasn't hurt too much I thought of you. Your crash was probably similar. I know you were wearing gear, but I hit the dirt, not a rock. My point was that guys that ride without even what I consider "the basics" for gear are stupid for tilting the odds against themselves so much for really no good reason. In my case the gear protected me and worked as intended. If I wasn't wearing it...well, it wouldn't have.
Sorry if I sounded arrogant, I didn't mean to.
It's all cool.
I've been riding for many decades and still don't come down solidly in any particular camp with regards to lots of gear, no gear, some gear, etc. Depends on the day and on the ride.
